The Teacher's Transaction

During the lunch break, Amasawa Yuto came to the school infirmary alone.

Hoshinomiya Chie was humming a tune to herself while organizing thermometers at her desk. Seeing him, she said, "Student, are you feeling unwell somewhere? Wait, could you be Amasawa-kun from Class A?"

"I'm honored that a homeroom teacher from another class recognizes me."

"After all, you were the top student upon enrollment. You were so flawless that you even got a perfect score in Japanese! Naturally, the teachers pay extra attention to you."

"I'm actually quite puzzled by that myself. Even my essay didn't lose any points. It gave me an unnatural feeling, as if the whole thing had been rigged, even though I got a perfect score."

"Amasawa-kun is unexpectedly humble. Perhaps you're just that excellent. So, what brings you to the infirmary today? Whether it's physical discomfort or psychological distress, you can tell me anything~"

"Actually, I have some questions regarding the school's explanations, and I was hoping Hoshinomiya-sensei could help me clear them up."

Yuto's words made Hoshinomiya tilt her head in confusion. She was likely wondering why Amasawa Yuto didn't go ask his own homeroom teacher, Mashima-sensei.

"Some questions are better discussed with teachers from other classes."

Hoshinomiya didn't know what kind of questions Amasawa Yuto could have that required consulting a teacher from a different class, but answering students' questions was a teacher's duty. She nodded. "Alright then, what would you like to ask, Amasawa-kun?"

She was also curious to see how deeply the top student of this year's Class A understood the school's rules.

It could also be considered a way to scout out the difficulty of moving up in class for her own Honami.

"I remember Mashima-sensei saying that as long as you have points, you can buy anything, right?"

"Yes, as long as it's something the school can provide, it can be purchased with points. Of course, it must be within the bounds of the law, though the amount could be an astronomical figure."

"Then, if I wanted to 'use' a teacher—for example, how many points would it cost to use you for a one-time service?"

"Eh?" Hoshinomiya was a bit stunned. "What do you mean by 'use' a teacher?"

"For instance, cleaning, organizing class activities—even with forty students in a class, there are times when manpower is insufficient. I might even just want to ask for a teacher's help. If a teacher's assistance is required, how many points would such an employment relationship cost?"

"If it were students from my own class, I'm sure the teacher would be more than happy to help..." Hoshinomiya said, then suddenly realized. So that's why he came to ask a teacher from another class. But what was the point of such a question? She had never heard of anything like it.

"I'll make a call and ask." Over the years, students had asked all sorts of bizarre questions. In the previous year, she had even encountered a student who asked how many points it would cost for her to sleep with them for a night.

The school's principle was to provide answers whenever possible, which meant giving a clear point-based standard. Whenever there was a question they couldn't answer, they would hold an emergency discussion and then add it to the regulations. In a way, this was how they constantly refined the school's rules and policies.

Perhaps this was just a question Hoshinomiya hadn't heard before; the school's rule database might actually have such a provision.

Before long, Hoshinomiya put down the phone. "The cost to employ teachers or other staff members is 100,000 points per hour. However, a written contract must be strictly signed, with the content of the employment clearly defined in 10-minute intervals. The agreement must be confirmed by the academic affairs office."

It was quite airtight. It was possible that someone had used a similar underhanded trick before.

The system of this school made information the most valuable commodity here.

Accurate and timely information could allow one to prevent trouble before it started and achieve victory from a distance; false or misleading information could just as easily cause one to fall into an abyss and be ruined beyond redemption.

Therefore, there is a very simple method: as long as a teacher is hired, the employment relationship can be used to force the teacher to withhold information from members of other classes, or even spread false information, making it easy to destroy the opposition.

Even if it doesn't go that far, in a school where failing means expulsion, a teacher could deliberately mark the wrong exam content. Even if a homeroom teacher tells them the content of the subjects they teach, can they really verify if teachers of other subjects have provided the correct exam material?

This question is meaningless for Mashima Tomoya, as he is already the homeroom teacher of Class A, but one cannot rule out the possibility that other teachers might actually do such a thing to help their class rise in rank.

Since there are such strict requirements for hiring teachers, it seems there is no need to worry about teachers becoming accomplices to students.

If a teacher were to act on their own initiative, it would be tantamount to burying their career within a school covered in surveillance.

"I have one more question. How many points would it take to buy all the rules of this school right now?"

Hearing this question, a playful smile appeared on Hoshinomiya's face: "2 million. That is the number of points required for you to buy the rules that the school currently allows you to know."

It seems this must be a test pre-set by the school; this amount is exactly half of the total monthly income of a class.

Although it hurts to spend it, once the rules are known, if it can save 200 class points, it would pay for itself in two and a half months.

"Can you make it cheaper? After all, you're selling to a student from another class."

"That won't do, Amasawa. You know yourself that you're from another class. It's already quite merciful of me not to charge you extra~" Hoshinomiya wore a pitiful smile, which inexplicably reminded him of Kushida Kikyo.

"What if there are additional conditions?"

"Eh, what kind of additional conditions?"

"Chabashira from Class D is selling them for 1.6 million, with the condition that the rules be shared with Class D."

The moment Chabashira was mentioned, the impression Hoshinomiya gave off changed instantly, as if the clear, cloudless sky from a second ago had suddenly turned into a torrential downpour.

"Sae, is that what she said?" Her voice was low, like black sandpaper, carrying a certain impurity: "Fine, I'll sell them to you for 1.5 million, on the condition that you share them with Class B and refuse Sae."

"Deal. Though I didn't expect Hoshinomiya to have such great hostility toward Chabashira."

"That is none of your concern."

"No, it is. I have a second deal, and I think you will be very interested in it."

"What else do you have to say?"

Hoshinomiya could no longer look at him as an ordinary student; Amasawa Yuto's cold voice sounded exactly like the whisper of a devil.

Nagumo Miyabi a year ago, Horikita Manabu two years ago—was the storm-like presence they brought to the teachers back then just like this?

"Since you hate Chabashira so much, if I help you deal with Class D, what kind of reward will you give me?"

"Deal with Class D? Hmph, you don't even know the rules yet."

"No, I already know them. Isn't it just point deductions? I'm buying them from you simply to secure a guarantee."

"You child... really... this is also against school rules, you know. I can only give you my personal points."

"Then how much is the teacher willing to offer? Your bid will influence my judgment."

Hoshinomiya pondered for a moment. "One hundred and fifty thousand. I want to see results in a month. Just how far can you suppress Class D?"

"Two hundred thousand. I will make Class D hit rock bottom."

Hoshinomiya was startled. This number was exactly her internal bottom line for the negotiation; she hadn't expected him to see through it so easily.

She felt her throat go a little dry. "Rock bottom, you say? You're certainly confident."

"There is always a limit to the school's point deductions. I am confident I can reach that limit. How about it?"

He hadn't even received the intelligence from her yet, and he already knew this much?

"...Deal. Do you need me to convert it to 1.5 million for you?"

"No need. I will gather the 1.5 million myself."